After Garth's latest beer brewing, the bottles exploded with such a force that nearly all of Lucy's latest canned ginger peaches had broken into soggy mess in the cold room. Everything was soaked and pitted with broken glass, even the smoked-ham hanging from rafters.
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| How it is done. |
Lucy was a God-fearing woman, but she painted him from head to toe with profanity. It was appropriate, and he knew it.
His old boxer, Leonard, trotted down to join the exile and that old basement door slammed shut. Lucy was still cursing, of that he was certain. His stay in the damp basement would be long. He could die of hunger before Lucy opened the damn door.
Crossword Puzzle, no. 284, June, 1976. He grumbled. Pages were brown around the edges, tobacco juice spotted randomly. He pulled a nub of a pencil from his coverall pocket, to pick up where he left off.
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Garth filled in the boxes, and moved onto 36 down. "7 letters, letter b...asphalt found in nature.." His eyebrows burrowed, then eyes lit up. "Bitumen...wretched stuff, nasty."
"I'm may be a sonofabitch, but I ain't dumb."
The basement door opened. Lucy called, "Here's your supper!" She threw a plate down the steps, where the food rolled and landed on steps and floor.
"Boy, Leonard, she sure is mad, ain't she?" Leonard licked stairs and floor clean, while Garth found bags of potatoes to settle in for a night, or maybe more.
The italicized underlined words above are provided by River, in a weekly Wednesday Words, where 6, 12 words are thrown at us, challenging bloggers to stretch their writing a bit. River will provide these words for the month of June, and then another bold and brave blogger will challenge bloggers once again.
You may post your take on these words in the comment section at River's blog, OR post them at your own site. Link it back to River, enabling others to visit you.
Banishment to the basement seems a bit harsh... Hope he likes raw potatoes.
ReplyDeleteWho knows what Garth had done in the past? Raw potatoes make for a hearty meal, and a reasonable bed.
DeleteThat's not a fun way to eat, won't be getting much variety from now on.
ReplyDeleteGarth hopes and hopes.
DeleteMy prejudices are showing. I am instantly on Lucy's side.
ReplyDelete(and the words will come from me next month)
Oh, definitely. Garth lacks common sense, which leads to all sorts of failings. I'll put your name up next week!
DeleteGood story, and clever use of the words. I like the image of "painting him from head to toe with profanity," too.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby used to brew beer back in the seventies, and part of the process involved cooking some smelly stuff on my stove. (Smelly to ME, anyway: I don't like beer.) Well, the stuff boiled over and got down into my electric stove. What a mess! It still looked funky down in my stove when we replaced it a few years ago. (I didn't paint him with profanities, but maybe I should have!)
My sister and family brew beer as a hobby, and it does have a distinctive odor. But, letting it boil over? Oh, yes. Painting hubby with profanity would have been just and right.
DeleteTotally reasonable reaction. When she calms down, he really needs to apologize.
ReplyDeleteOh boy howdy. I don't know how, though.
DeleteOh No! not the smoked ham! That alone is enough justification for Lucy's reaction. But I hope she doesn't leave him in the basement without food for too long.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great story this time.
Next week, 29th June is my last week, then the words move to EC's site.
Lucy will figure out to pull out the bits of glass, or she will cut them out. Maybe. There are potatoes in the basement, and probably a withered beet or two.
DeleteIn the summer, I would not mind banishment to the basement. It is cooler down there!!
ReplyDeleteBasements are the refuge of the Midwest. Not just for tornadoes, but for relief from heat. Loved them.
DeleteMan, Lucy's mean! At least Garth has the dog for company.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that this is not the first time Garth has had something like this happen. Basement is the best place for him for a while.
DeleteGive Susan some words and we get a story. Always a good one.
ReplyDeleteYou know how I like to play with those words!
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